Vehicle-wheel



L'P. COPLAND.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION HLED Nov.2, 1916.

Patented NOV. 2, 1920..

Ult-tilt@ S'ATES PTENT FFICE.

JAB/IES P. COPLAND, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HYDRAULIC STEEL GOlVIPANY,v Gl CLEVELAND, CHIC', A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

vniiicnnwnnnn Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 2, 1920.

Application fileil November 2, 1916. Serial No. 129,067.

To @ZZ 'w /Lom 'it may concern Be it linown that I, JAMES P. COPLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels, and more particularly to pressed metal wheels which are formed Afrom two symmetrical sheet metal side members or sections each comprising a hub `plate with hollow spoke projections, each hub plate having an inturned circumferential edge between the spoke projections and the two members or sections being homogeneously united, as by electrically welding the meeting edgesof the spoke projections and of the opposed hub plate projections.

As wheels of this character are usually constructed, the hub* section7 unless suitably reinforced, is weak as compared with the spoke section and, if there is any tendency for the wheels to collapse, this tendency eX- ists in the hub sections. It has been proposed to obviate this weakness by the interposition of wooden blocks between the side or hub plates, but the use of these blocks is expensive and the wood thereof is liable to be charred while the wheel is subjected to the heat of enameling. It is the general purpose and object of this invention to provide the hub sections of wheels of the character referred to with a simple form of reinforcement which is capable of being easily inserted within such sections, which will withstand all ordinary incidents of use, and which will not be detrimentally affected by the enameling process referred to.

I realize the foregoing purpose and obJ ject in and through the constructionillustrated in the drawings forming part hereof, wherein Figure l represents a side elevation of a portion of a wheel constructed in ace cordance with my invention, one of the hub plates and certain of the spokes being broken away; Fig. 2 is a sectional detail corresponding to the line 2 2 of Fig. l; F iO. 3 a perspective view of one of members; Fig. 4 a view, similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification of the reinforcing members; and Fig. 5 a sectional detail of a portion of the heb and spokes and showing the reinforcing a still further ing member. i

Describing by reference characters the various parts illustrated herein, l and la denote generally the opposed side members ors'ections of a wheel, each member comprising' a hub plate having hollow halfspole projections 2 and 2 respectively, the edges of the hub portions or plates of said members intermediate the spokes bein(v modification of the reinforce turned inwardly. The inturned edges of the hub plates and the abutting side edges of the spoke homogeneously, a convenient manner of accomplishing this result being by electrically welding the parts together.V f

In order to enable the hub portion proper to withstand lateral strains such as are induced by skidding or by the wheel encountering a curb or similar obstruction, before uniting the symmetrical halves of the wheel, l insert in one of these halves or sections reinforcing members each preferably consisting of an angle iron brace, said brace comprising a web, shown as a flange 3, and a shorter web or flange 4l projecting at right angles from the iirst mentioned flange. The flange 3 is of such `length as to extend outwardly from a point close to the center of the hub to a short distance into the hollow interior of a spoke, the flange 3 being preferably in the plane of a radius drawn from. the hub through the yaxis of the spoke. The flange el is cut away at its outer end, as indicated at 4a, in such a manner as to provide a curved beveled surface, this curved surface corresponding with the curvature of the line defining the junction of the rounded surface of the hub and spokes 'with the flat central portion thereof, thereby providing a flat bearing and an intimate contact between the flange 4l and the face of the adjacent hub plate. The reinforcing members may be -first spot-welded,through their flanges 4, to

one of the symmetrical halves of the wheel and, after the two halves have been united in the manner described hereinbefore, said members will be spot-welded to the opposite wheel member.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a modification of my invention wherein each reinforcing member Vcomprises a pair of angle iron members having the flanges 5 and 6, 5a and 5a, respectively, said flanges corresponding to flanges 3 and 4f of the single reinprojections may then be unitedl los iio

forcing members hereinbefore described, the flanges 6 and 6a being cut away at the top in the sameV manner as the flange 4 of the preceding modification. Each part of the double reinforcing members shown in Fio. a Vmay be spot-welded to itsrhub plate 1, 1a, so that, when the wheel halves or sections areunited in the manner described' hereinbefore, a double reinforcing member will be provided having throughout the major portion of its lengthy a box-like section; rlhe webs of the flanges 5 and 5nwill be spaced equidistantly from the center or axis of each a reinforcing which is preferably oiferhung by the flange' el. 4The outer end of each flange il?) is cut away, as indicated at il, in the same manner as is the case with the Vouter ends of the flanges fl. The segmental flanges orpro'jcctions 7 are of such extent as, when the reinforcing members are in place, to form an annularv web extending about the central portion of the hub and extending across the space between the two hub plates.

The rim which cooperates with the outer ends of Vthe spokes may be a fixed rim or felly of standard construction,or it may be a demountable rim 8 detachably secured to the ends of the spokes as by inea-ns ofi-lugs 9 and bolts V10, in the manner disclosed in my application No. 98,014, filed May 1T, 1916. Y

In' all forms of my invention, while one flange of each reinforcing member fornis a transverse brace between lthe opposite sides ofthe hub plates and the inner ends of the 5 there is shown a'still further spoke projections, the outer flange serves as a brace for stresses and strains acting at right angles to the first mentioned flange. ln thev form shown in Fig. 5, each reinforcing member has an additional segmental flange which reinforces the hub both transversely and circumferentially. Y

Havingthus described my invention, what l claim is :A

1. A vehicle wheel comprising a pair of end of the last mentioned flange being cut away to conform to the curvature of the outer portion of the hub plate and the connected spoke, said' members being homogeneousl united tothe co ieratinn' Jortions.

of the wheel. Y

the hub plates into the interior-ofV 2. A vehicle wheel comprising a pair of opposed sections each having a'hub plate and radial hollow spoke projections homogeneously united at their abutting lateral edges; and a series of angle iron reinforcing members, each having a segmental web or flange adaptedV to extend across the space between the opposed central portions of the plates, a radial flange extending outwardly from one end ofsuchsegmental web into the interior of a spoke and connected at one edge to such spoke, and a flange entending at substantially right angles tothe radial flange and united -to one of the hub plates. V Y Y In testimony whereof l hereunto afiix my signature. Y

Y JAMES P. CGPLAND.' 

